Trust Glozman Law with Chicago Asset Forfeiture Defense Attorney
They seized it without charging you. You can still fight to get it back.
Glozman Law contests federal and Illinois asset forfeiture, civil and criminal, working fast to preserve your claim and recover seized cash, accounts, vehicles, and property.
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IF THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN YOUR PROPERTY
They Can Seize First and Make You Prove Your Innocence Later. There Are Deadlines, and They Are Short.
Civil forfeiture is one of the strangest powers the government holds. It can seize cash, a vehicle, a bank account, or a home by claiming the property itself was tied to a crime, and it can do so without charging you with anything. The case is filed against the property, not against you, which means the usual presumption of innocence does not work the way you would expect. The burden can land on you to prove the property is clean.
That structure is harsh, but it is not airtight. Forfeiture is governed by strict procedures and hard deadlines, and the government gets the property by default when those deadlines pass unanswered. Most people lose forfeiture cases not at a hearing but on the calendar, by missing the short window to file a claim. The first thing to protect is your right to fight at all.
Statute referenced
Federal forfeiture runs on parallel tracks. Civil forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. § 981 and 21 U.S.C. § 881 proceeds against the property itself, while criminal forfeiture under 21 U.S.C. § 853 and 18 U.S.C. § 982 follows a conviction. The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (CAFRA) sets the deadlines and the innocent-owner defense.
FEDERAL AND STATE, CIVIL AND CRIMINAL
Knowing Which Kind of Forfeiture You Are Facing Changes Everything
Not all forfeiture is the same, and the differences decide your strategy. Administrative forfeiture happens at the agency level with no court involved unless you force the issue. Civil judicial forfeiture is a lawsuit against your property. Criminal forfeiture is part of a prosecution and only takes effect if there is a conviction. Each has its own timeline, its own forum, and its own way of being beaten.
The path forward depends on which of these you are in, and on whether the matter is federal or under Illinois law.
- Administrative forfeiture. A seizing agency moves to keep property without going to court. A timely claim forces the case into a real forum where the government must prove its case.
- Civil judicial forfeiture. A lawsuit against the property itself, where deadlines under CAFRA control whether you can be heard at all.
- Criminal forfeiture. Tied to a prosecution under 21 U.S.C. § 853, contested as part of the underlying criminal defense.
- Illinois forfeiture. State seizures proceed under the Illinois forfeiture statutes, including 725 ILCS 150, with their own claim procedures.
HOW WE FIGHT TO GET PROPERTY BACK
From the Claim Deadline to the Innocent-Owner Defense
The first move is almost always procedural. We file the claim that preserves your right to contest the seizure, and we do it inside the deadline that the government is counting on you to miss. Once the case is in a forum where the government has to carry its burden, the contest becomes substantive. We challenge whether the property was actually connected to any crime, whether the seizure was lawful, and whether the government can prove what it has asserted.
For owners who had nothing to do with the alleged conduct, the innocent-owner defense under CAFRA can defeat the forfeiture outright. Where forfeiture is tied to a criminal case, the property fight and the criminal defense are run together, because winning one often depends on the other. The constant across all of it is speed. Property cases reward the side that acts first.
Why the Clock Matters
After a seizure, the deadline to file a claim can be a matter of weeks, and a missed deadline usually ends the case before any argument is heard. If your cash, account, or vehicle has been taken, the time to call is now, not after the next notice arrives.
WHY CLIENTS TURN TO GLOZMAN LAW FOR FORFEITURE
Asset Protection Built Into the Criminal Defense
Vadim A. Glozman handles asset forfeiture as a core part of his federal and white-collar practice, including the parallel civil and criminal exposure that follows fraud, drug, and money laundering allegations. Protecting what you have built is treated as part of the defense, not an afterthought.
Reasons clients choose the firm:
- A former-prosecutor’s read on your case. Charges are won or lost on how the government built the file. We pressure-test the theory the same way the people who assembled it would.
- You work directly with your attorney. You will not be handed off to a junior associate. Vadim A. Glozman stays on the case from the first call through resolution.
- Most of our best results are quiet. Many of our wins are cases that ended before an indictment, with no charge filed and no public record. Those outcomes are the goal, not the exception.
- Built for trial, resolved on our terms. We prepare every case as if it is going to a jury. That preparation is what gives negotiations their weight.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Asset Forfeiture, Answered
If your property has been taken, you need answers quickly. Start here, then call so we can act before a deadline closes.
Can the government take my property without charging me with a crime?
Yes. Civil forfeiture is brought against the property itself rather than against you, so the government can seize cash, accounts, vehicles, or real estate by alleging a connection to criminal activity, even if you are never charged. That is exactly why these cases must be contested. The procedures that let the government do this also give you the right to fight back, if you act in time.
How long do I have to challenge a forfeiture?
The deadlines are short and unforgiving, sometimes only weeks from the notice of seizure to file a claim. Missing the deadline usually means the property is forfeited by default, with no hearing at all. Because the timeline is the most common way people lose, you should speak with an attorney as soon as your property is seized.
What is the difference between civil and criminal forfeiture?
Civil forfeiture is a separate action against the property and does not require a conviction or even a charge. Criminal forfeiture is part of a criminal case and only takes effect if the defendant is convicted. The two are governed by different statutes and deadlines, and the defense strategy is different for each, which is why identifying the type early matters.
What is the innocent-owner defense?
Under the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act, an owner who did not know about or consent to the alleged criminal use of the property can assert an innocent-owner defense to defeat the forfeiture. Establishing it requires evidence and careful presentation, and it is one of the strongest tools available to people whose property was caught up in someone else’s conduct.
Can I get back property that has already been seized?
Often yes. By filing a timely claim and forcing the government to prove its case, it is frequently possible to recover seized cash, accounts, and property, either through litigation or negotiated return. The chances are best when an attorney is involved early, before deadlines pass and before the government’s position hardens.
WHERE WE PRACTICE
Chicago, Across Illinois, and in Federal Courts Nationwide
Federal seizures in this area are handled through the Northern District of Illinois and the agencies operating in Chicago, including the DEA, FBI, and IRS. Illinois forfeitures proceed under state law through the Cook County courts and surrounding counties.
Mr. Glozman represents clients in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, in the Cook County criminal courts at 26th and California, in suburban courthouses across the collar counties, and in federal districts around the country when a case calls for it. If a federal agency has opened a file on you, the office where the case sits matters less than how early and how well it is defended.
Related Defense Practices
Cases rarely stay in one lane. A single investigation can touch several of the areas below, and we handle them under one roof.
- Grand Jury Investigations
- Tax Evasion
- Healthcare Fraud
- Money Laundering
Your Property Was Taken. The Deadline Is Already Running.
The single most important step in a forfeiture case is filing the claim on time. Call now so we can protect your right to fight before the window closes.